Track: Supply Chain Management

Abstract

The importance of supply chain management has been progressively rising in competitive business. Companies must embrace a suitable supply chain management strategy to compete effectively within the supply chain domain. Companies harness their efforts and capabilities to meet their customers' demands. In addressing these demands, they encounter ongoing market fluctuations. Consequently, due to the company's desire to fulfill their customer's needs, the competition has shifted from among companies to competition between the supply chains within these companies. The complexity of the petroleum industry's supply chain surpasses that of many other sectors. The intricate nature of petrochemical supply chain management originates from the crucial need to maintain uninterrupted plant operations and facilitate the transport of final products. Tasnee (National Industrialization Company) is a prominent Saudi Arabian diversified industrial company operating in various sectors, including petrochemicals, chemicals, plastics, metals, and other industrial businesses. The company has a significant presence in the global market. This paper seeks to understand Tasnee's supply chain approach for polymer products, contrasting the lean/efficient supply chain strategy with the agile/responsive supply chain strategy. A comprehensive literature review gathered insights from pertinent studies and relevant publications. In addition to the literature survey, semi-structured one-to-one interviews were conducted with various managerial levels in supply chain management at Tasnee to acquire further insights into the supply chain strategies. Based on the collected information, it is evident that Tasnee predominantly adheres to a Lean supply chain strategy for Polymer products, except for applying a Leagile supply chain strategy in managing profit margins. Overall, Tasnee aligns with an efficient supply chain model.